DHAKA: A Dhaka court asked the government to publish a notice against BNP vice-chairman and Dhaka city’s former mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka and two others to appear before the court by March 29 in a case of bomb blast in front of Election Commission Secretariat.

The other accused are Tariqul Islam Jhantu and Shahjalal.

Dhaka Acting Metropolitan Judge Imrul Kayes passed the order on Wednesday and also ordered that the hearing of the case will start in absence of them if they did not appear by March 29.

The published circular will have to be submitted in the court on March 29.

Earlier on October 21 in 2014, the court issued an arrest warrant against nine accused among 23 people of the case as they remain fugitive from the beginning.

The list of fugitives includes Khoka, Jhantu, Shahjalal, Hazrat Ali, Mamunur Rashid, Rakib Hawlader, Aftab Hossain, Abdul Qaiyum and Abdul Alim.

The case statement said, on October 27 in 2013, the accused involved in a bomb blast in front of EC secretariat gate to foil the national election.

Later, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Thana Sub-Inspector (SI) Raju Ahmed filed a case against 25 people, including the former mayor Khoka.

BDST: 1745 HRS, FEB 11, 2015